The Mercean Households
Many have wondered how a society so strict as the Imperium could have a group so outside its structure living inside it, but that is exactly what the Mercean Households are. Dating back to the very founding there ancestor fought along side the Emperor himself in the carving out of the empire from the end of the AI Wars. He trained those with psychic power how to far see and use their minds as the control navigation system for your ships fold engines, the only other group given this gift being the Space Guild. Many wars were fought by the Merceans and many of their number were made Barron of their won worlds, but as they did more would join their ranks and they rolled over many world claiming them for the Empire. After the 40 year War of Claiming the Imperium was settled down into the structures it lives by today and the Merceans questioned what they would do about them selves. None could be trusted to be a single leader of such a large army so what would happen. They did not want to break up a brother and sisterhood that spanned 2 generations so the Emperor himself suggested that they live by a different political structure. Mercea is Governed by a council of Regimental Families. Each family own land on Mercea and have holding a ships in orbit around Planet 4 Barracks. All infighting among Merceans is highly illegal, by both law and under their very strict honour system, disputes being settled by a kind of mock war that does not weaken the families and in most cases only resulting in some broken bones. Although Men and women are equal in Mercean Society they take on very different and divided role, Women Being dominate in the Aerospace aspects of combat and men being dominate in ground combat, but those roles are not as defined as they once were, though some sexism is still evident, especially among bridge crew of ships of the line. The recorded system population is some 4 billion souls, though at any one time there is no more than 1 billion living there, most out on station on other world or fighting in wars of some Imperial Lord somewhere. The Mercean fleet is said to be some 300,000 ships of the line with numerous other troop transports and support ships. If a Barron hires Mercia to take a new planet, he can be assured he is going to become a Duke. In the past 30 years Planet 6, Forest Hunt, has been terraformed in the System of Mercea and seeded with wild beast. All the Great House have hunting lodges on the world and it is a great honour to be given a hunting permit, although very dangerous. You need to be born on Mercea or to a Mercean to be a warrior, This is how Mercean Household get their servants and staff. Work in a Mercean Kitchen, or a Shipyard and you son or daughter can become a warrior and have a rich and charmed life, not so much a conferable one as Mercean training is hard and growling. Any that fail it are shamed by having to leave the system. Not a good fate if you are a son or daughter of one of the great houses.